Still no corrective action for Lt. Gen. O’Reilly

Missile Defense Agency awaits ‘corrective action’

"...On Tuesday afternoon, our colleague, Craig Whitlock, asked DOD spokesman George Little whether Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta had “been briefed on that report? And, does he still support Lt. Gen. O’Reilly’s position there?”..."

Reference: www.washingtonpost.com .

Von Braun 4 (IV) complex to break ground in Fall at Redstone Arsenal

Turner Universal to Build Von Braun Complex, Phase IV Missile Defense Agency Administrative Building at Redstone Arsenal

"...In addition to the Von Braun Missile Defense campus, the project at Redstone Arsenal includes design and construction of a multi-story, 225,000-square-foot administrative facility for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Turner expects to break ground this fall. ..."

Reference: www.marketwatch.com .

Pentagon building missile-defense radar station at a secret site in Qatar

Pentagon Bulks Up Defenses in the Gulf

"...The Pentagon is building a missile-defense radar station at a secret site in Qatar and organizing its biggest-ever minesweeping exercises in the Persian Gulf, as preparations accelerate for a possible flare-up with Iran, according to U.S. officials...."

Reference: wsj.com .

Rooftop missiles approved for Olympics

Judge OKs rooftop missiles during London Olympics

"...the British army will be putting a battery of high-velocity missiles on the roof. The defense ministry says the missiles, capable of shooting down a hijacked aircraft, are a key piece in the elaborate jigsaw of security for the London Olympics, which start July 27. ..."

Reference: yahoo.com .

Raytheon awarded missile interceptor contract ($636m)

Raytheon awarded $636m contract for missile interceptor

"...TUCSON - Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems has been awarded a $636 million contract to provide a vehicle capable of intercepting a ballistic missile in space...."

Reference: www.kvoa.com .

MDA Director Gen. Patrick O'Reilly bullied staff (report says)

MDA Chief O'Reilly Abuses Staff, Internal Report Says

"...Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, regularly bullied and screamed at his staff and mismanaged his office, and recommends "corrective action." ..."

Reference: www.spacenews.com .

A list of Nike missile sites (US)

A list of Nike missile sites (US)

"

... a list of Nike missile sites. This article lists sites in the United States, however the United States Army also deployed Nike missiles to Europe as part of the NATO alliance, with sites being operated by both American and European military forces. U.S. Army Nike sites were also operational in South Korea, Japan and were sold to Taiwan.

Leftover traces of the approximately 265 Nike missile bases can still be seen around cities across the United States. As the sites were decommissioned they were first offered to federal agencies. Many were already on Army National Guard bases who continued to use the property. Others were offered to state and local governments while others were sold to school districts. The left-overs were offered to private individuals. Thus, many Nike sites are now municipal yards, communications and FAA facilities (the IFC areas), probation camps, and even renovated for use as Airsoft gaming and MilSim training complexes. Several were completely obliterated and turned into parks. Some are now private residences. Only a few remain intact and preserve the history of the Nike project. The missile sites are listed by the state in which they are located. The vast majority of the installations were combat ready launch facilities. Each site listing contains information concerning a particular site...."

Reference: wikipedia.org .

Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War (Vintage, Book, Amazon)

Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War (Vintage)

Michael J. Neufeld, curator and space historian at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, delivers a brilliantly nuanced biography of Wernher von Braun, Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War (Vintage).

Chief rocket engineer of the Third Reich and one of the fathers of the U.S. space program, Wernher von Braun is a source of consistent fascination. Glorified as a visionary and vilified as a war criminal, he was a man of profound moral complexities, whose intelligence and charisma were coupled with an enormous and, some would say, blinding ambition. Based on new sources, Neufeld's biography delivers a meticulously researched and authoritative portrait of the creator of the V-2 rocket and his times, detailing how he was a man caught between morality and progress, between his dreams of the heavens and the earthbound realities of his life.

Reference: Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War (Vintage)